Members of the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of B.C.’s Uniform Gang Enforcement Team helped seize weapons, cash and narcotics in Kelowna.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ CFSEU-BC
June 02, 2022 - 3:08 PM
The province's gang enforcement team was in Kelowna recently help out local officer with the disruption and suppression of drug trafficking.
Over four days, officers stopped 100 vehicles and interacted with 145 people, the majority of whom were connected to the street-level drug trade, according to a B.C. Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit media release issued today, June 2.
The unit partnered with Kelowna RCMP to ensure the team was briefed on local crime hot spots and received up-to-date intelligence to help direct their enforcement activities.
Multiple weapons were seized, including two BB guns that appeared altered to shoot live ammunition.
The gang unit said the overall results from the enforcement effort are still in progress but officers made multiple arrests related to ongoing drug trafficking investigations, seized over $30,000 in cash along with quantities of what is believed to be illegal narcotics.
Officers also located a stolen vehicle and arrested the occupant on a warrant for a robbery in Penticton.
“The deployment of our overt officers to communities throughout the province is one of the core activities that allows us to contribute to the overall success of reducing gang-related violence,” deputy operations support officer Supt. Alison Laurin said in the release.
“Collaboratively working with the many policing agencies in our province contributes to the overall success of CFSEU-BC to fulfill our mandate in reducing the incidents of gang-related criminal activity and associated violence that threatens the safety of our communities in British Columbia.”
By conducting proactive and high-visibility enforcement in the community against those individuals or groups that pose the most significant risk to public safety due to their involvement in gang or organized crime activity, the special enforcement unit contributed to overall coordinated law enforcement efforts with the Kelowna RCMP, the release said.
Kelowna RCMP Insp. Beth McAndie said the unit's help let general duty officer focus on other priority issues in the city.
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